Monster Hunter PSP details

Capcom has announced that PSP title Monster Hunter Portable will go by the name Monster Hunter Freedom in the US when it's released there in Q1 2006, and elaborated on details of the game's features, including multiplayer modes.

Based on Monster Hunter PS2 and its Japanese-only sequel MH G, Freedom aims to expand the single-player side of the game so it's more suitable for handheld play. To this end you'll have a larger range of tasks to complete with your customised avatar - retrieving dragon eggs, hunting down big creatures, etc. - while scavenging defeated monsters for food and supplies, and accumulating mission rewards for upgrading your arsenal and equipment.

There will be multiplayer modes though, via ad hoc Wi-Fi. Four players can team up in co-op missions, exchange items and guild cards, and there will be a 'treasure hunters' two-player co-op game where players have to collect and deliver treasure somewhere within a time limit.

Capcom Eurosoft currently doesn't have a date for MH Freedom on its release schedule, but we'd expect it sometime in the middle of 2006.